LGBTQ Japanese American Conference

Okaeri: A Nikkei LGBTQ Community has announced that their 2021 conference will take place virtually from November 12th to 14th. The conference will include 23 workshops & a special guest appearance & performance by drag star Gia Gunn. The event will be Okaeri’s fourth conference. Okaeri’s first conference in 2014 was the first-ever gathering focused on LGBTQ Nikkei Japanese Americans & attracted over 200 attendees from across the U.S & Canada. This year the conference will include a diverse program of workshops, affinity group meet-ups & performances by LGBTQ Nikkei. The conference will feature speakers from across the U.S. & Japan to touch on topics including marriage equality in Japan, LGBTQ+ inclusion in faith spaces, transgender experiences & lessons from queer Japanese American history. Many LGBTQ Nikkei are estranged from their families & the Japanese American community. Okaeri’s leaders hope the conference will facilitate LGBTQ+ Nikkei meeting each other & will continue to advance visibility of LGBTQ people within the Japanese American community. The Okaeri virtual conference is held by LGBTQ Nikkei, parents of LGBTQ Nikkei & allies of LGBTQ people to foster a space for acceptance, healing & the undoing of homophobia & transphobia. Founded in 2014, Okaeri is a Los Angeles-based group whose mission is to create visibility, compassionate spaces, & transformation for LGBTQ+ Nikkei & their families by sharing their stories & providing culturally-rooted support, education, community-building & advocacy. In addition to its biennial conferences Okaeri organizes numerous events throughout the year focused on building support & community for LGBTQ Nikkei & allies. For More Info…